New Year Eve is a time for revelry and merry making. But it does make sense for your housing society to take a few basic precautions to ensure that the celebrations do not go out of hand. Problems caused by excessive alcohol intake, too much of loud music, the nuisance of fire crackers and a lack of security due to revelers coming into your residential complex are some of the basic issues that most housing societies face during New Year’s eve.

Most of these problems can be avoided with a bit of advance planning. Regulations should be issued well in advance and circulated around the housing society. Here are a few steps that can help ensure that New Year celebrations do not go out of control.

Steps for a Fun but Safe New Year’s Eve

(i) Get everybody on board as far as your “Safe New Year” campaign is concerned. There is no point in the housing society management issuing guidelines arbitrarily. Call a meeting and seek everybody’s co-operation. Discuss the troubles that normally arise and ask for suggestions to deal with it. Getting everybody involved will lead to greater success.

(ii) While you cannot enforce the number of guests each resident can invite, you can definitely keep track of which apartment each visitor to the complex is entering. Issue gate passes to your residents. They can pass these on to their invited guests. The guests will be allowed into the housing society only if they have their gate passes. This will eliminate the possibility of troublemakers entering your complex

(iii) Keep a time limit as far as playing of loud music and bursting of fire crackers is concerned. While there are definitely going to be fireworks at midnight, request residents to avoid the noisy ones. Also ensure that fire extinguishers are in place and in working condition to avoid mishaps.

(iv) Arrange for some kind of medical back up. Accidents and binging on alcohol can raise medical emergencies during New Year’s eve. It makes sense to keep a doctor on call to deal with any emergency situation that may arise.

(v) Residents normally like to light up their homes with decorative lights on New Year’s eve. This can cause power to trip. Ensure that an electrician appointed by the housing society checks all the connections in the apartments to ensure that there is no danger of short circuits.

(vi) Ask your residents to take responsibility for any guests who may have drunk too much. The host should see that the drunken guest does not get behind the wheel of the car. Excessive drinking can lead to loutish behavior and residents should be held responsible for the behavior of their guests.

(vii) Make a list of dos and don’ts well before New Year’s eve and circulate it among your guests. Put up notices in all public areas so that even the guests who arrive are aware of the regulations.

With a few basic precautions, it is possible to have a fun and safe New Year celebration. So go ahead and enjoy!

---

Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!

ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!

The kitchen is undoubtedly the most important part of a housing society flat. In a housing society, depending on the complex, kitchens maybe fully furnished or partially furnished, with modular kitchens et al.

Whatever may be the case, you can implement these helpful pointers in order to maintain an organized kitchen because a well functioning kitchen leads to a happier and healthier family life.

• Observe Cleanliness All the Way

To maintain a perfectly functional kitchen you should keep in mind that the first thing to do is to make sure complete cleanliness and hygiene is followed within the kitchen.

Food wastes should be disposed off as soon as possible, because otherwise the waste bin will witness rotting and serve as a growing habitat for bacteria and fungus, leading to the spread of food borne diseases.

• Maintain All Utensils and Cutlery

It is of utmost importance in every kitchen that each and every utensil used for cooking and the cutlery used for serving should be completely cleaned after usage for hygienic purposes. The upkeep of these utensils is also important because many problems such as rusting, coating, drying and melting can affect the quality of food prepared.

• Assign Specific Spots for All Items

To ensure that you have an organized kitchen, you must keep different food products in designated areas of the kitchen. For example, separate shelves and areas must be provided for dry foods, grains, spices, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and preserved foods.

Each type of food also requires a particular optimal temperature to ensure that the food is in perfect condition. Generally, meats and most preservatives are ideally stored at a cooler temperature. You can place dry food items in Tupperware containers, neatly tucked away in cabinets.

• Store Items by Frequency of Use

There are some kitchen appliances or utensils which you may tend to use more often than others. Ensure that your everyday dishes are placed on lower shelves which are easily accessible, while your fancy cutlery is placed on higher shelves.

Aprons, dish towels and gloves can be conveniently hung at a safe distance from the stove. While organizing your cookbooks, ensure that you save a small open space on one of the shelves. You must keep in mind that cookbooks can get easily exposed to grease from the stove or fridge if kept too close.

• Create a Cooking Space

While organizing your kitchen, make sure that you designate a special zone for cooking. This zone should usually be centered on the stove. Pots and pans should be stored in close range near this area. Stirring utensils, egg beaters and other cooking tools can be neatly placed in a container near the stove.

• Other Storage Tips

It can be extremely helpful to store snacks and fruits in see-through baskets or containers. While storing cutlery, use dividers to organize vessels of different sizes and purposes. If you want to save a little storage space, hanging heavy utensils such as pots and pans will do the trick.

In order to maintain a clean and organized kitchen, housing society residents can take note of these simple pointers and spread awareness about the growing need for cleanliness in a kitchen. The key to an organized kitchen is arranging utensils in such a way that there is maximum storage space, making it easy to move around and work efficiently.

---

Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!

ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!

Indoor gardening is always a great option, and if you’re considering growing herbs in your housing society flat, there’s nothing better. Thyme, Parsley, Basil, Tulsi, Mint, Rosemary, Cilantro, Oregano, Masterwork, and Fennel are some of the herbs that you can grow in your flat.

The Benefits of Growing Herbs

There are some primary benefits involved with growing herbs in a housing society flat.

• Growing herbs in a housing society flat requires just a small area
• It requires very less initial investment and maintenance
• Many herbs that have proven medicinal values can be used as a part of home remedy solutions
• Indoor herbs can be used as additives in food  items to make lip smacking dishes
• The natural smell of certain herbs can be used in aromatherapy
• You can cut down on the cost of buying herbs from the market
• Herbs can be used all round the year and for various purposes

There are some points that you need to keep in mind while growing herbs in a housing society flat, though.

The Type of Herb

Choose the herbs carefully as not all of them can grow in an indoor environment. Herbs which grow well in conditions involving less sunlight, air and soil are usually preferred for flats. Some herbs which are apt for indoor cultivation include Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, and Rosemary. Herbs like Chives are not an ideal choice for cultivating inside flats as they possess complex root systems that require large spaces to grow.

Ample Light Source

Light can be either from a natural source, sunlight, or from an artificial source, mainly fluorescent lights. Herbs require adequate amount of light for their growth and photosynthetic activity. Devoid of such light, herbs cannot survive. Hence, for growing herbs in a housing society, flat it is essential for you to choose a place which has enough supply of sunlight or artificial light.

Nutrition and Soil

Herbs require sufficient nutrition for their growth and development. Soil, being a major source of nutrition for herbs, contains all the essential elements that promote and sustain life. Some herbs require scanty soil whereas others require a lot. Fertilizers also provide an additional nutritional boost for herbs and ensure that their normal growth pattern doesn’t get disturbed. When you are setting up a container for growing herbs in a housing society flat, make sure that it contains right amount of soil and fertilizer.

Water Issues

Water your herbs regularly to prevent the soil from going dry. However, take care not to use too much water on the herbs. To ensure that the excess water is drained out, choose a pot with a hole at the bottom and fill it with layers of stones or broken tiles.

Proper Maintenance

Constantly monitor your herbs for any diseases or pest trouble. Ensure that the herbs are supplemented with fertilizers from time to time. You can pinch off the apical node in the herbs to get a bushy growth of stems and branching of roots instead of elongation of stems or deepening of roots.

Harvest your herbs at the right time and use them when required. You can also dry and store the herbs for long term use. Growing herbs in a housing society flat is a good option through which you can add a touch of greenery to your home.

---

Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!